1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to preloaded dispensers of several different substances in a predetermined sequential manner. More particularly, it relates to sequential dispensing of various spices in different amounts, as required for specific kitchen recipes which are packaged together with the spices.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently a cook obtains kitchen recipes from cookbooks, recipe cards, newspapers, or notes. Then the cook must list the various ingredients and spices (types and amounts) required by the recipe and procure them from a food market. While ingredients, such as meats, vegetables, grains, fats and the like, are fairly straightforward to procure, spices require more care. Sometimes a spice is known by more than one name, or may not be available in the prescribed form (such as ground, chopped, dried, freeze-dried, or other) or not at all. Then time must be spent looking for spices at other markets.
Many spices are very expensive, and if packaged quantities are more than what the recipe requires, money may be wasted. If spices have been stored in the kitchen for long periods of time because of infrequent use, they may have lost their flavor and become stale because of their finite shelf life.
Once spices from various sources and ingredients have been assembled for use in cooking the recipe, cooks may be distracted by the mechanics of food preparation which may involve multiple pots and pans, hot stoves, and moving ingredients and spices back and forth. The result is that spices (and ingredients) could be spilled, incorrect amounts could be measured out, and the chances for other errors in food preparation could be increased.
There is thus a need for means to ease food preparation with multiple spices, so that expense and time required are minimized, while accuracy of proper addition of the various spices, and thus the quality of the prepared food, are maximized.
All this is not a new problem and in the past a number of devices which dispense measured amounts of packageable spices and ingredients have been proposed. A search of the patent literature has uncovered the following related U.S. patents:
No. 2,745,751 to Pichardo, PA1 No. 2,705,579 to Mason, PA1 No. 4,299,851 to Lowe, PA1 No. 4,790,429 to Fukushima, PA1 No. 5,316,400 to Hoyt et al, PA1 No. 5,529,179 to Hanson, and PA1 No. 5,664,670 to Coxxie. PA1 1. A controlled prescribed sequence of opening of multiple pockets containing different spices or ingredients; PA1 2. A mechanical arrangement of such multiple pockets which allows refilling and re-use by simple retrofitting of the opening mechanism; and PA1 3. A printed recipe included near the spice pockets for convenience and timesaving in preparation of food according to the recipe. PA1 1. contains the precise amounts of all the spices required for the recipe, with each spice properly labeled; PA1 2. presents the spices in sequential order as called for in the recipe; PA1 3. provides a convenient and speedy means of removing each spice when needed; PA1 4. is integrated with the printed recipe directions in a small self-contained package, so that the cook can dispense the spices faster and cook the recipe with less chance of error; and PA1 5. eliminate the need for for shelf space for individual spice containers and avoids the extra time required for moving back and forth between mixing, cooking and related equipment and the spice shelf during the cooking process.
All these patents show pockets of round, square or rectangular shape dispensing particulate solids. Lowe deals with only one substance which is self-released during cooking by thermal action. The others have multiple pockets. Fukushima and Hoyt et al arrange for simultaneous release from all pockets by a single opening action. The four remaining patents allow for opening of individual pockets in an arbitrary sequence as desired by the cook.
None of the seven patents reviewed have the following features which are very helpful in the preparation of complex recipes: